IACHR

Press Release

IACHR carries out Working Visit to the Dominican Republic

November 30, 2017

   Contact info

IACHR Press and Communication Office
Tel: +1 (202) 370-9000
cidh-prensa@oas.org

   More on the IACHR
A+ A-

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a working visit to the Dominican Republic on November 23 -24, 2017. The objective of this visit was to follow up on the recommendations made by the IACHR in Chapter IV B of its 2016 Annual Report regarding the situation of human rights in the country. The delegation was comprised by Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, First Vice-President of the Commission, Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination and Rapporteur on the Rights of Women; Commissioner Luis Ernesto Vargas Silva, Country Rapporteur and Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants of the IACHR; Executive Secretary Paulo Abrao, and technical staff.

The IACHR held meetings with the Legal Counsel to the President, the Ministry of the Interior and Police, the General Migration Directorate, and the Central Electoral Board, with the goal of elaborating agreements to advance in the effective enjoyment of human rights, specifically the right to nationality, the rights of migrants, the right to non-discrimination and the right to gender equality. The IACHR also met with the Ministry of Women, with the objective of verifying the functioning of programs on sexual and reproductive rights for women in the country and receiving information about developments in education and trainings in this area.  

The IACHR values the efforts of the Dominican State in constructing a policy of dialogue and follow-up on its recommendations, which is reflected in the participation of the State in the working meetings and its openness to receiving the IACHR’s visit to the country.

In addition, the IACHR recognizes the willingness and trust of civil society in sharing with the IACHR its vision regarding the State’s compliance with the recommendations formulated by the IACHR.

The Commission wishes to thank the Dominican State for its reception in the country, as well as its collaboration in the organization of this visit and the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out the meetings with Dominican authorities with positive results. The Commission will continue to monitor the compliance with the commitments assumed by the State during this working visit.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote the respect for and defense of human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 194/17